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Buy British to beat Trump tariffs, urge Lib Dems

Paul Seddon
Political reporter
Getty Images Sir Ed Davey poses for a photo on a tractor during a visit to Harpenden in 2022Getty Images
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has positioned his party as strongly anti-Trump

The Liberal Democrats are urging Britons to buy UK-made products to support businesses hit by Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs.

The party is calling on the government to launch an advertising blitz to send a "collective message" that the UK "won't take Trump's tariffs lying down".

Nearly all British products are set to be hit by a 10% tax on goods imported into the US from abroad set to take effect this weekend.

Ministers insist they hope to have the tariffs overturned as part of ongoing talks on a wider economic agreement with the US.

British exports are set to be hit under a 10% baseline tariff on foreign imports announced by the US president on Wednesday, on top of already-announced taxes on aluminium, steel and cars.

Some copper, lumber, energy and pharmaceutical products will be excluded from the new tariffs.

The 10% levy is in line with that charged on products from a range of other countries, including Turkey and Singapore, whilst other trading partners have been hit with a higher rate, with the European Union facing a tariff of 20%.

The government has promised to consult businesses affected by the changes, and is consulting on a "long list" of American products that could be hit with British import taxes in response.

The Lib Dems suggested ministers should emulate the "Buy Canadian" movement in Canada, which has seen shoppers shun US-made goods in response to Trump's tariffs and threats to annex the country.

The threats have boosted the political fortunes of new Liberal prime minister Mark Carney, who called a snap election for later this month after surging in opinion polls after taking a tough stance to the Trump administration.

Two days into his campaign, Carney posted a video encouraging his countrymen to "buy Canadian wherever you can" as he examined locally-made maple syrup, potatoes and jam during a visit to a farm market.

'Made in Britain'

The Lib Dems say a media campaign should be accompanied by a new government-backed "Made in Britain" logo for those businesses taking part.

There is an existing Made in Britain trademark available to manufacturers, whilst a number of large supermarkets already have dedicated "Buy British" sections on their websites following a campaign by the previous Tory government.

But the party is thought to believe a new logo would help a broader range of producers show off their Britishness to consumers.

It also wants Labour to rule out changes to the UK's digital taxation regime or online safety legislation as part of the ongoing talks on an economic deal with the Trump administration.

Leader Sir Ed Davey has sought to position the Lib Dems as a strongly anti-Trump party in recent weeks, and has called on the UK to introduce specific tariffs on Tesla cars in a bid to hit the carmaker's boss Elon Musk, a prominent Trump backer.

The UK has so far declined to join the EU and Canada in threatening immediate retaliation to Trump's tariffs, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pledging instead to keep a "cool head" and try to negotiate exemptions.

There is a long history of Buy British campaigns in the UK, including a 1968 promotion fronted by showbusiness legend Bruce Forsyth and backed by Harold Wilson's then-Labour government.